Rota · Northern Mariana Islands · Cave & cavern
Rota Hole
Shafts of sunlight beaming down into a cave
Rota Hole is the island's best-known dive: a cave to 18 m that sunlight enters in shifting beams for much of the year. Soldierfish and sweepers live inside the cave, and many Micronesian endemic species live on the reef outside it.
Also known as Rota hole.
Where it is and how deep
No published position for this site — the map shows Rota and its other sites; operators know the mooring.
The dive
The dive is a visit to a single cave, its floor no deeper than 18 m. Pillars of light descend from above and change constantly, at times hanging like a curtain and at others radiating as beams. Outside the cave, divers may spot large species such as Napoleon wrasse.
Marine life and season
The sources we used don't single out particular species here.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good | Good |
Best from March to September; light beams enter the cave from mid-February to late October and peak from April to September.
Know before you go
- Moderate currents are possible in the water outside the hole.
Dive videos
How we dive...Rota Dive Sites: Rota Hole-2nd · Random Adventure & Interest on YouTube
Sources
- Dive Sites of Blue Palms Rota — Blue Palms Rota
More dive sites in Rota
Cave & cavern
A tunnel that climbs from the drop-off to open water near the surface
Wreck
A former China river ship seized in a smuggling bust and sunk for divers
Wreck
A 122 m (400 ft) freighter often visible end to end from the surface
Similar dives elsewhere
A half-flooded cave chamber entered only from underwater
Four linked sinkholes with tunnels out to the reef
Choose a route through tunnels from a giant reef hole
A dark cave you can surface inside, under large stalactites